Apparatus for mail transfer

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for mail transfer including a hood including a vertical elongated slot defining an axis of the slot to receive mail and a mobile shutter to protect the mail against rain; an elongated mail transfer conduit connected to the hood defining an axis of the conduit that is substantially parallel to the axis of the slot; a receiving box connected to the mail transfer conduit; a deflector connected to the receiving box; and a receiving plate located in the receiving box.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus with a big vertical slotfor mail transfer to a distant receiving box.

The conventional or specific letter-boxes approved by the Post-Officehave traditionaly had horizontal slots with a breadth of two centimetersto about three centimeters. These letter-boxes do not fit well on fenceswith generally vertical openings (palisade, grille, door or main gate).The apparatus according to the invention allows a solution to thisdisadvantage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This problem is solved by the hood of the apparatus according to theinvention having a vertical slot which fits easily on the abovedescribed fences and which receives vertically the mail parcel. Theapparatus also includes a mail transfer conduit-slide-deflector whichguides a mail parcel to the receiving box and reduces its speed. Areceiving plate, inside the receiving box, receives the mail more thanan arm's length from the vertical slot. The present invention alsoincludes an elastic suspension for the receiving plate to absorb theshock of the parcel landing on this plate.

According to various particular configurations of manufacture:

the protection against the rain is ensured either by a mobile shuttermounted on the hood which can be lifted easily or by an overhang fromthe hood or by the receiving extension of the top wall and both lateralwalls of the hood,

the mail transfer conduit can be constitued by the extension of lateralwalls of the hood,

when the free falls are not dangerous for the mail, slide, deflector,receiving plate and elastic suspension of the receiving plate are notnecessary.

In the following,an embodiment of the invention is explained in moredetail with the aid of drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the hood mounted on a grille of agate.

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the apparatus according to the inventionwith the receiving plate in an upper position of minimum volume (opendoor).

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the apparatus (open door)

FIG. 4 shows a rear view of variant with a receiving plate placed onfixed bearing points.

FIG. 5 shows a section of apparatus taken along the line 1--1 in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus, illustrated by these drawings, includes a hood 1 (withvertical slot 2) that communicates with the receiving box 3 by means ofthe mail transfer conduit 6. The hood 1 and its mobile shutter 4 shelterthe mail from the rain. The whole of the vertical slot mailbox is hungfrom gate panel 23 by means of a fixation 5 on the gate. The slot 2 isplaced before an opening 21 between two bars 22 of the grille of thegate. The receiving box 3 and the mail transfer conduit 6 are bound by abelt 7. The mail transfer conduit 6 slide 10 deflector 11 guides themail 20 to the receiving plate 12 which is hung by elastic suspension13. The thick wall 15 (thickness γ) is the wall which is supporting thedoor 16 of the vertical slot mailbox. The other walls are thin(thickness β). Two carrying handles 17 allow a person to manipulate thereceiving box 3.

According to FIG.4, the receiving box 3 can have bearing points 14 sothat the receiving plate 12 can be placed on several levels: upper(minimum volume), mid or lower (maximum volume).

According to variants not illustrated, the apparatus can be ofrectangular or square section. Further, the apparatus can be embedded ina wall, sealed on a concrete socle, coated with bricks or parpens toform a pillar.

Referring to the drawing, the sizes are: the distance (α) between twoopenings through the gate, the breadth (A) of an opening and the cuttingerror (ε).

Without excluding other possible sizes, the approximate sizes of theapparatus, which can be made of wood, metal, plastic or other materialscan be, for example,:

γ=0.8 cm for thickness of the thick wall 15 (plywood)

β=0.5 cm for thickness of a thin wall (plywood)

B=A+εfor breadth of vertical slot 2.

C=35 cm (22 to 42 cm), for height of vertical slot 2.

D=25 cm (22 to 42 cm), for inner depth of hood 1.

E=from 10 cm to several meters, for length of mail transfer conduit 6.

F=10 cm, for height of first bearing point 14.

G=F-ε+50 cm, for height of deflector 11 (angle of 45 degrees).

H=F-E+90 cm, for height of receiving box 3.

The apparatus according to the invention is suitable in particular forthe fences with vertical openings and for buildings with small entranceswhich require the slots of letter-boxes to be brought nearer one anotherand the receiving to be moved further away from one another away.

I claim:
 1. In a mail receiving device for a structure having at leasttwo rods which are oriented generally vertically and spaced apartlaterally so as to define an oblong opening therebetween which extendsgenerally parallel to said rods, the improvement comprising:a means forattaching said device to said structure; a hood having an oblong, narrowslot through which said mail is receivable into said hood, said slotbeing lengthwise aligned with said oblong opening when said device isattached to said structure by said attaching means; a receiving box forsaid mail; and an elongate transfer conduit connecting said hood andsaid receiving box and through which said mail transfers by gravity fromsaid hood to said receiving box.
 2. The improvement as in claim 1, andfurther comprising: shutter means for shielding said slot in order toprotect said mail from rain.
 3. The improvement as in claim 1, whereinsaid attaching means comprises:means for hooking said mail receivingdevice on said structure.
 4. The improvement as in claim 1, and furthercomprising:slide means for deflecting said mail laterally during saidtransfer by gravity.
 5. The improvement as in claim 1, and furthercomprising:receiving plate means, located in said receiving box, fordefining a depth of fall of said mail into said receiving box.
 6. Theimprovement as in claim 1, and further comprising:means for suspendingsaid receiving plate means elastically so as to cushion a fall of saidmail onto said plate.
 7. The improvement as in claim 1, and furthercomprising:a length of said oblong slot being oriented generallyvertically.